It took them the better part of two years, but HP is finally ready to get back in the consumer tablet game, this time backing Android. Their first tablet will be the Slate 7, a small model that's light on price and even lighter on surprises. Roughly comparable to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, the 1024x600 FFS+ LCD screen sits on top of a 1.6Ghz dual-core A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of MicroSD-expandable storage. According to HP's promotional page, it will be available in at least two colors. The rear camera is a disappointing 3 megapixels, with the front a dismal VGA model, and it runs stock Android 4.1. Wait, what?

You read that right: the Slate 7 will be running almost entirely stock Jelly Bean, with only HP's Beats Audio and ePrint apps added in. (A pair of stereo speakers, which seem to be integrated into the body TouchPad-style, help to take advantage of the audio processing.) That might be enough for HP to turn a few heads, at least among Android purists, and the competitive $169.99 price doesn't hurt. A soft-touch rubber casing that's a little chunky at 10.7mm rounds out the hardware.You could do worse for a 7-inch WiFi tablet, though with a little more dough you could do a lot better.

Still, if HP intends to buck the Android manufacturer trend with a hands-off software approach, we're game to see what they've learned since the TouchPad. The Slate 7 will be available starting in April.

With a 7-inch diagonal screen and weighing 13 ounces, the HP Slate7 is an ideal trusted personal companion, featuring a stainless-steel frame and soft black paint in gray or red on the back. It also is the industry's first tablet to offer embedded Beats Audio, for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a tablet.

The HP Slate7 delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play.(1)

"To address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, HP will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems," said Alberto Torres, senior vice president, Mobility Global Business Unit, HP. "Our new HP Slate7 on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets, while our ground-breaking, business-ready HP ElitePad on Windows® 8 is ideal for enterprises and governments. Both deliver the service and support people expect from HP."

The HP Slate7 joins the recently introduced HP Chromebook as part of HP's push to offer access to the Google experience.

HP's tablet offerings reside in the company's newly formed Mobility Global Business Unit, established in September 2012 with the hiring of Torres. Torres joined HP from Nokia, where he was executive vice president and oversaw the MeeGo products and platform.

The HP Slate7 includes a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front for chatting, videos and photos.

With the HP ePrint (2) application, customers can easily print while at home or on the go, and the exclusive native printing capability enables customers to print directly from most applications. A micro USB port allows customers to easily transfer files, and a suite of applications from HP spans exclusive games to productivity tools.

HP will provide an array of simple and easy-to-access support tools and resources to help customers take full advantage of all of the features the HP Slate7 has to offer. In addition to extensive phone and online support offerings included with the HP Slate7, HP is offering customers the opportunity to add to the standard product limited warranty with its HP Care Pack services. HP Slate7 customers will have the option to protect their investment with a two-year HP Care Pack for $29 or a two-year HP Care Pack with Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) for $49.(3)

Pricing and availability(3)The HP Slate7 is expected to be available in the United States in April with a starting price of $169.

You didn't hear? The full name is Galaxy Note Tab Pad Phone Blet 2 6.9999.

silaslenz

Never forget the 4G LTE AMOLEDOLED tripple NFC.

http://www.androidpolice.com/ David Ruddock

I'm sure Walmart will welcome another crappy Android tablet on their store shelves.

Michael Panzer

Who would want this and why? You could get one of these for less then half the money on http://www.aliexpress.com so that's that HP :-D

omegavesko

I'd much rather buy a tablet from HP (which will also have a dev community, mind you) than import one from a random Chinese manufacturer.

Michael Panzer

My point was that the HP tablet is such a chines tablet with HP written on it. Archos does the same thing. There is nothing good about this tablet.

omegavesko

In specs, maybe. But this tablet will have much better support, both from HP and from the development community. Not to mention the actual hardware will be much superior in quality.

have you ever tried returning a tablet to AliExpress because it broke? Yeah, not going to happen.

Michael Panzer

Will you buy it or recommend it if it is such a great device?

This chines tablet was just an exapmle and costs nearly half as much. I wouldn't buy that or the HP one. Both are a total waste of money.

I have a Nexus 7 and 10 for your information.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1065971454 Andrew Hime

Until HP fucks you. Fucks you hard.

Joshua

Having the same numbers doesn't mean that it's a comparable tablet in every case. On top of having low-quality components, those tablets often don't have access to the Play store because that costs money.

"Costs money? Isn't Android free?"

Yes, Android is free... but to have access to the Play Store and other Google services requires a few things to be true, including satisfying some Google requirements and paying for the services. If those two aren't fulfilled, the manufacturer can still use Android, but it won't have the Google services that make Android worth using. There won't be a developer community behind it, to top it all off. So no, that tablet isn't comparable to this one from HP.

Michael Panzer

For the HP one to have a community it has to sell first of all. We'll see if that happens. We'll also see how well it will perform.

Jeremy Gilliam

That would be their selling point... Good on HP to turn it around, personally I think, too little, too late. The train has already left the station in the 7 inch market.

JonJJon

It is indeed nothing to get excited at but hey, still makes all the people who bought an iPad mini look like idiots for paying the price.

addvocate

Don't forget Best Buy! HP is their favorite flavor of junk to unload on people. LOL @ Beatz. The sound is crystal clear... too bad the screen has gameboy resolution, else you'd be able to see what you're doing as well. Congrats, you beat Sony at their own past - nice walkman, HP :/

Athishay

Don't you mean galaxy tab 2 7.0?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1065971454 Andrew Hime

4.1 now? Sheesh. Also, FUCK YOU HP.

frustrated

If you dont like the spec, you dont have to buy it.
I really dont get why an increasing number of contributors
Seem unable to leave a sensible comment, instead they incoherently rant
While sending f words and general rage out in all directions.
HP have produced a 4.1. Tab, so what? Its not personal but
why does that require my having To read f words in response?

Jeremy Gilliam

Agreed, the AP podcast is one thing, open comments on the website, completely different.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1065971454 Andrew Hime

I'm the proud former owner of a Pre, current owner of a Pre 3 and a Touchpad.

Freak4Dell

It looks really nice, even if the bezels seem huge. At a $30 price difference, you're better off with the Nexus 7, but I could see myself buying one if it goes on sale for like $130-140. I'd rather have this than one of the no-name tablets that are normally at that price range.

HellG

I dont get this "The rear camera is a disappointing 3 megapixels"
I dont like HP but i think we need to be fair, when the N7 came without rear camera you guys said well who uses that anyway, so i dont think you have the right to call a feature that the biggest competitor doesn't even have as "disappointing", dont like it then dont use it, like it well its there for you...

QuanahHarjo

Really. *Any* camera on the back of a 7" is better than the N7's completele lack. For those that use their 7" as a PDA, having the rear camera handy for barcode scans or a quick Evernote picnote is a good thing.

GigiAUT

Kinda disappointed on the screen resolution. But glad HP put in a MicroSD slot and bumped it up to 1Gig RAM. I think I'll stick with my TouchPad and wait until they release a 10" with better resolution.

http://trapchan.blogspot.com trapchan

1024 x 600 seriously HP ??

Elias

My main concern with this: updates.
Nice thing it runs stock android, but it's useless if it doesn't get timely updates. And the fact that it won't ship with 4.2 is enough to back up my concern: if they're keeping it mostly stock and 4.2 is just a incremental update from 4.1, shouldn't be hard to ship this with 4.2.

GazaIan

It looks just awkwardly tall. I couldn't use it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1569417452 Tyler Watthanaphand

People are gonna buy this and then think all android tablets are crap now..